When do babies start turning over?

Right up until your baby reached their first birthday, you would spend hours gazing at him while he lay wide awake in his cot, just waiting for him to fall asleep. And he would stare back at you with a little smile that said “I’m going to keep you awake all night!”.

Your partner would tell you to get some rest; that was what the baby monitor was for, after all! But you couldn’t help but worry that he would be lonely if you left, that he wouldn’t be comfortable, or that he would roll over and hurt himself in some way.

Parents, it’s completely normal to want to be by your baby’s side during their every waking moment and worry about what will happen when your back is turned. And when a baby becomes old enough to roll over themselves, it’s normal to feel a little worried or unsure about their safety and whether they have enough control over their own bodies.

However, try to remember that this is a normal process, even if it does take you by surprise.

And like with every baby-related topic, it will help you immensely to feel a little more knowledgeable about when your baby might start to roll over and how this will play out from month to month.

So, let’s first go through when you can expect your baby to be able to roll over.

When will my baby be able to roll over?

Being able to roll over may seem perfectly simple to an adult, but for a baby, it’s actually a pretty significant achievement! They will most likely be able to completely roll over from front to back by the time they are about 5 or 6 months old. This is because their muscles will have become strong enough by this point. However, all babies differ slightly in their rates of development, so it may take a little less time or more time for your baby to reach this milestone.

Now that we’ve discussed when you can expect your baby to roll over, let’s dive deeper into how this could play out over the first seven months of their life.

How will my baby start to roll over?

Newborn for two months. During this time, your baby will still need to develop the muscles required to be able to roll over, and engaging in regular tummy time with them will be a good start to this. Tummy time is fantastic for babies, as it helps them move their arms and legs and allows them to build up enough muscle in their neck, head, and upper body.

You might find your baby feels a little uncomfortable being on their tummy at first, and they might protest or appear to be a little distressed. If this happens, then try to lighten the situation by distracting them with a toy, getting down on their level and smiling at them, or talking to them in a friendly tone.

Three months to four months. When your baby is on their tummy at this age, you’ll find that they are more able to lift their head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, as their muscles will have become stronger. Rejoice in the fact they are able to do this'mini push-up’ off the floor, as it will help them to strengthen the muscles they will use to roll over.

This is a good time for you to encourage your baby in any way you can to practise pushing up with their arms. A way to help this along is to put a toy just out of their reach. This will motivate them to raise themselves by pushing up and reaching for the toy.

Five months to seven months. At five to seven months, your baby will probably be able to lift their head, push up on their arms, arch their back, lift their chest up, kick their legs, rock on their stomach, and make swimming strokes with their arms. This is a good sign and shows that their muscles are being strengthened even further. By this stage, they should be able to completely roll over in both directions.

But what if my baby never rolls over?

You may in fact find that your baby never passes through the rolling-over stage, and this is perfectly ok! Many babies will simply progress straight to sitting, crawling, or bum-shuffling.

When should my baby start rolling over?

On Unii’s Baby Development Journey, we share when you can expect your baby to start turning over.